Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

"Let's make some substitutions!"

Seeing the freshmen in such a disheveled state, Coach Kataoka realized that continuing the match in this way wouldn't serve much purpose. 

There were still many freshmen, and many had yet to take the field. 

Speeding things up wouldn't be a bad idea. In the final moments, he could have Sawamura Eijun assess the potential of the new players. 

It would be a win-win. 

The players who substituted actually performed better than the previous group. 

The continuous attacks had worn out the older players, and after just having played defense, they were constantly expending energy. 

As a result, the second inning only saw them score eight points. 

Then, the third inning began. 

At this point, the rookie team made more substitutions. Though not all players were changed, those who had made more than two consecutive mistakes were replaced. 

Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff clearly felt there was no need to waste more time on them—and will wait until the third-year players retired, and see how they improved. 

In the coming months, these players will need to practice more. 

Having learned from the previous innings, the older team brought out all their firepower in the third and fourth innings, scoring a full 15 points across both. 

By the end of the four innings, they had accumulated a total of 38 points. 

Sawamura himself hit four home runs and one timely triple! 

He scored 11 points on his own. 

It was worth praising that these freshmen had a lot of guts; none of them tried to avoid facing him. 

The fifth inning hadn't even started, but the freshman team had already crumbled. 

During this process, aside from the star rookies, even players who had already taken the field were sent back in. 

But the result was still the same. 

Under Sawamura's lead, the older team completely overwhelmed them. 

Sawamura even had the time to approach the rest of the Senpais. 

"Nabe-san, would you like to take the field and try your luck?"

Honestly, it was an enticing offer. 

Watanabe was currently helping out the coaching staff with two of his peers from the same year.

Coach Kataoka clearly said that he wouldn't be able to give everyone a chance.

Suddenly being given a chance to play was exciting for him. 

"If I can, why not?"

Watanabe wouldn't turn down the chance to play. 

Playing on the same field as Sawamura had always been his dream. 

Since there was no hope left for being selected for the first string, he hoped to play one last game with his teammates during this time. 

If Sawamura could join him, it would be perfect. 

Once on the field, Watanabe, with his sharp mind, made a significant contribution to the team. 

He even managed to get a nice hit! 

He looked very satisfied with himself. 

Seeing Watanabe-senpai like this, Sawamura smiled with contentment. 

By the time the fourth inning ended, the score had reached a completely ridiculous level. 

54:6! 

In these few innings, Sawamura had not allowed a single point, not even a single hit. 

And he led the second-string and third-string players to an overwhelming 38-0 win. 

The task of dominating the freshmen had been completed. 

They now knew what real high school baseball was. 

Or rather, how terrifying real high school baseball could be. 

'Perfect. With this, the first task is done,' Coach Kataoka, wearing sunglasses, kept his eyes on the freshmen. 

Aside from a few super rookies who hadn't played yet, the others had their heads down, clearly disheartened. 

In a game with such a wide skill gap, no one would want to be up there just to be beaten. 

'Well done!' (Oi! Don't be happy about it! XD)

"If no one else wants to play, then you should get ready," Coach Kataoka turned his gaze to players like Yui, Nishiyama, Yuuki, and Okumura. 

He caught a glimpse of Han Lee-Hyun. 

It was clear that Lee-Hyun was struggling. He probably wanted to take the field but was holding himself back. 

After all, he had only been formally training in baseball for a month, and his performance on the field was completely uncertain. 

There simply wasn't enough time. 

'A player with self-awareness!'

Coach Kataoka didn't exactly admire this kind of player, but he knew that these players, who could endure, persist, and wait, often had the potential to become great. 

His rapid improvement, especially in stealing bases, had caught Coach Kataoka's attention. 

'That speed was rare, and if used correctly, it could be a secret weapon.'

However, he hadn't undergone formal baseball or track training, so his running technique had many excess movements, and most of the training time had been spent correcting his running posture, leaving less focus on base stealing. 

"When will you see results?"

"At the earliest, it will be a month from now!"

A month later, the Kanto Tournament would be over. 

Coach Kataoka nodded. 

It seemed that testing Lee-Hyun would need to wait until the hellish Summer camp after the Kanto Tournament. 

That would be the final selection for the team. 

Once the roster was set, it would be difficult to change. 

Unless a player was injured, there was no precedent for adjusting the roster after that time. 

With a nod, that decision was made. 

Thus, Lee-Hyun wasn't called to play. 

Even when he called out players' names, he deliberately ignored Lee-Hyun. 

The remaining star rookies quickly formed a team. 

This would be their theoretically strongest lineup. 

Nishiyama was the obvious choice for pitcher, as while Kuki and Asada had performed well, they were on a completely different level compared to Nishiyama. 

The catcher position had more debate, but in the end, Yui was chosen. 

He had once been the captain of the national team, the most famous freshman, and had good chemistry with Nishiyama as his former partner. 

Okumura had wanted to fight for the spot, but his personality couldn't win much support, so he was placed in the second tier. 

Matsumoto didn't even get a chance to compete, as he hadn't shown any standout performance in the previous matches. 

For the first baseman, it was Hirota. 

The second baseman was Takuma. 

The third baseman was Yuuki. 

Yuuki wasn't very reliable defensively and didn't give much assurance no matter where he played. 

But he was an excellent batter, and there were no other standout third basemen among the freshmen, so he filled the position. 

Luckily, he was versatile and could perform well wherever he was placed. 

Next was shortstop, and Mogami was pushed to the forefront. 

Despite his unsatisfactory previous performance, there were no better shortstops among the freshmen, so he was given the position. 

It was a case of "picking the best of the worst," but he would have to step up. 

The three outfielders were: Kuki Youhei, a rising star from the Junior League, who was not just a pitcher but could also shine in the outfield.

Kagami Kouta is the most reliable outfielder.

And finally Itou Taiga. 

With this lineup, the team exuded star power. 

"This lineup is too strong!"

"Now, even the older team can't afford to be careless."

"If Sawamura is leading the second-string main players, this match would still be a challenge, but now that he's leading a mix of second-string substitutes and third-string players, things aren't looking good."

The supporters of Seidou were quick to spot the problem's core. 

For one, Sawamura couldn't fully showcase his strength. 

And when comparing his teammates to the opponents, they were clearly not on the same level. 

Looking at the players standing with Sawamura, only three could be named: Sawamura, Watanabe, and Kariba.

With this lineup, taking on Seidou's strongest freshmen seemed nearly impossible. 

If Sawamura could fully unleash his power, there might still be a chance. 

But as things stood, the situation was dangerously bleak. 

In the older team's dugout, Sawamura grinned at his teammates. 

"Do you all share the same thoughts as the others outside?"

The group shook their heads vigorously. 

Of course not—they had blind confidence in Sawamura. 

Sawamura nodded in satisfaction. 

"This feeling is nostalgic!"

Just two years ago, Sawamura led a team like this, defeating strong opponents and eventually claiming the national title. 

"Next, let's show those little brats what real high school baseball is all about..."

High school baseball wasn't just about players improving their overall skill levels. 

The tactics used in matches were far more sophisticated than in middle school. 

"Have we gathered enough intel?"

Turning to Watanabe, Sawamura asked. 

"Don't worry!"

Watanabe was confident. 

He had paid attention to the freshmen before, and during the game, he had collected plenty of information. 

He wasn't sure about every detail, but he had a good idea of what the opponents would do. 

"Let's do it!"

Sawamura stood up and stretched out his hand. 

The teammates understood the cue, and they formed a circle, each placing their hand on Sawamura's. 

"Let's go!"

"Let's go!!"

Under the leadership of Sawamura, the Senpai team was full of energy!

They believed that even though it would be difficult to take points from the freshman team, it wouldn't be easy for the freshmen to conquer them either.

After all, in their team, they had the super strong support of Sawamura.

He was the true ace of the team.

The impact he had on the team wasn't just about his personal skills, but also about his spirit and energy.

In this regard, Sawamura was undoubtedly deserving of being the Ace.

He was already the real ace of the team.

Not only was his rival's strength still below his, but not even Furuya's pitching skills were on par with Sawamura's.

However, the influence Sawamura brought to the team was far beyond Furuya's.

This was the role of an Ace pitcher.

When it came time to fight, the influence of an Ace pitcher was even more apparent.

They were full of confidence, but they didn't expect to be slapped in the face so soon after the game started.

Ping!

The ball was hit hard.

The batter who hit the ball was the first batter of this team of super freshmen.

Takuma!

He seized the opportunity and hit the ball directly with his bat, then immediately sprinted full speed.

The defenders, of course, did their best.

Under normal circumstances, the defense should have been able to stop the runner.

But the unfortunate part was that the runner was just too fast!

By the time the ball reached first base, Takuma had already reached first.

"Wow, this little guy is way too fast!"

"Although the Senpai defense in the second and third teams is quite good, it's still no match for the first team…"

"Such a surprise!"

"But now, the Senpais are in a really dangerous situation."

Without being able to go all-out, Sawamura would sooner or later be hit and the ball would be sent flying.

Even the spectators and alumni watching knew this.

But they never expected it to happen this quickly!

So suddenly, too!

"These little brats are really tough!"

Kuramochi, watching from the sidelines, grumbled with dissatisfaction.

Even though Sawamura wasn't going all-out, the ball he just threw was a perfect Moving ball.

Even from this distance, they could clearly see the ball's movement.

This meant that the break in that pitch was significant.

Yet the batter still managed to hit the ball on his first swing.

'This kid's skill was absolutely not to be underestimated.'

Relying on Sawamura alone to handle them was still too much of a struggle.

"No, I disagree with your opinion."

Miyuki smiled and shook his head.

"Sawamura was throwing with a casual attitude just now. But now the situation has changed. He's probably going to get serious!"

Kuramochi didn't refute Miyuki's statement.

He, too, knew that Sawamura had been throwing casually.

Otherwise, with Sawamura's 145 km/h pitching speed, how could the freshmen have hit the ball so easily?

Did they really think everyone was a super genius?

But the same was true for Sawamura—once he took things seriously, it wouldn't just be the freshmen who felt the pressure. His teammates would feel it too.

Could Kariba, his catcher, really handle Sawamura's pitches?

"Sawamura actually dares to do this; he must be quite confident."

Miyuki said uncertainly.

In the freshman team's dugout.

Miyuki could tell that these talented freshmen had noticed it as well.

They had also realized something was off about Sawamura.

Although they didn't have a radar gun to measure it, they could still feel that the speed of Sawamura's pitch was probably around 135 to 140 km/h.

It wasn't slow, but it definitely wasn't Sawamura's real level.

The reason he hadn't been throwing with full effort was partly because he thought his opponents were too weak and didn't need to try hard.

Another reason was that he didn't want to waste too many pitches.

After all, even when striking out a batter, it took three pitches. A regular bait pitch might solve the problem with just one.

Beyond that, there was the consideration of his teammate's skills.

If Sawamura wanted to increase his pitching level now, he didn't need to worry about the opponents. Even if they couldn't hit the ball, it would only waste a few extra pitches. Sawamura had great rhythm in his pitching; over the last four innings, he had only thrown 20 pitches.

For the remaining five innings, even if he went all out, it wouldn't be an issue.

The real key was whether his teammates could catch the ball.

"How well Kariba can catch Sawamura's pitches will determine how well Sawamura's full potential can be realized."

Yui Kaoru's face remained calm and friendly, always looking positive and optimistic.

If you spent time with him, it would be easy to like him.

However, if he was your opponent, it was a different story. A guy with such optimism and positivity could be very troublesome when playing against him.

The reason the national team Coach chose Kaoru as the captain, despite objections, was probably for this very reason.

Such a character was absolutely necessary for an outstanding leader.

Yui Kaoru stood in the Batter's Box, his eyes fixed on the pitcher's mound, watching Sawamura closely.

He was different from the typical freshman—he had actually seen Sawamura's pitching power firsthand.

To be honest, if Sawamura's partner wasn't the not-so-strong Kariba, but instead Miyuki or even Ono, Yui didn't think they could get any points off Sawamura.

That would be impossible!

With Sawamura's second-level unlocked, he was already one of the top pitchers.

'And there were still several levels above him, the third and even fourth levels…'

If Sawamura went all out, it wouldn't just be the freshmen struggling. Even if all the best high school players were gathered together, very few would be able to hit his pitches.

But Kariba was different!

'In this situation, how much power could Sawamura-senpai unleash?'

'Let's wait and see.'

With his bat raised high, Yui Kaoru's gaze was locked on the pitcher's mound.

The surrounding area was completely silent.

Everyone was watching their showdown, waiting for the result.

On the mound, Sawamura's mouth curled into a smile.

'You guys really underestimate Kariba!'

Kariba, in this life, wasn't as close to Sawamura as he was before his regression.

Kariba had been Sawamura's practice partner for half a year. Even when Sawamura's skills improved drastically, Kariba continued to practice with him.

He was Sawamura's best training partner off the field.

In this life, on the surface, they didn't have much interaction.

But even now, Sawamura still often practiced with Kariba.

He was also helping his friend improve his skills.

Kariba was certainly no slouch now. His coordination with Sawamura was far from awkward.

That's why Sawamura was confident that these freshmen were seriously underestimating Kariba!

They actually thought they could find a weakness in him. It was a fool's dream.

Sawamura lifted his leg high, then brought it down like a battle axe.

He started off with all his might.

As his body weight shifted, his right mitt hid his left shoulder and arm.

Then, his left hand whipped forward like a whip, and as he released the ball, his two fingers gripped tightly onto the ball.

WHRROOSH!!

The ball shot like a rocket, accelerating quickly, and the 18-meter distance was covered in the blink of an eye.

'Fast!!'

Kaoru, seeing the pitch, was shocked inside.

He didn't expect Sawamura to throw such a high-level ball.

Even more surprising, from the Batter's Box, the pitch looked incredibly sharp.

'Could Kariba-senpai really catch this ball?'

Snap!

The ball zipped into Kariba's Mitt.

At that moment, the whole field fell into silence.

The supporters and Senpais who had been worried about Sawamura now felt heat rising in their faces.

They had also underestimated Kariba, the catcher, who didn't look like much at first glance.

Incredible!

Who would have thought this catcher could catch Sawamura's Straight-Fastball?

Now, it really wouldn't be easy for the freshmen to score.

Yui, standing in the Batter's Box, also had a look on his face as if he had swallowed a fly.

It was incredibly frustrating.

Kariba-senpai hid himself too well!

'It's over!'

It looked like getting a score wouldn't be as easy as they thought.

Takuma, who had been quietly standing on first base, now realized the seriousness of the situation.

Without hesitation, he decided to support Kaoru.

Even though this guy was his friend Okumura's rival, they were still first-year teammates.

When a teammate is in trouble, you can't just stand by.

You have to help.

Takuma slowly started to leave first base.

Seeing this, both Kuramochi and Miyuki, who were watching from the sidelines, spoke almost simultaneously.

"Idiot!"

...

T/N: Happy New Year!!

As always, Thank you all for reading!!

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